Jack e



l E. MESSENGER.

SHUTTER FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28,1919.

Patented Sept 12 192.2,

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. E. MESSENGER. SHUTTER FOR AUTOMOBILE RA'DIATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-28.1919.

1,428,647. PatentedSept. 12, 1922,

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922..

UNITED STATES PATnNrorrIc 1 1 JACK E. MESSENGER, 0]? DES MOINES,

SHUTTER FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS.

Application filed. January 28, 1919. Serial No. 273,635.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JACK E. Mnssnnens,

citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Shutter for Automobile Radiators, of which the following is a specification. One object of my invention isto provide a device, including a shutter, adapted to be mounted in front of and extending across a radiator and adapted to be held at its margins by and beneath the front flanges of a radiator shell, together with means, extending within easy reach of a driver, for ad justing the shutter.

A further object of this invention is to be found in the provision of novel means for operating a shutter, said means including a compound lever and an operating rod extending within easy reach of a driver.

A furtheimobject of this invention is to be found in the provision of a shutter com.-

posed of overlapping pivoted vanes, the

overlapping portions of said vanes being" formed with overlapping or interlocking opadapted to be pivoted to spaced supports located at opposite ends of the vanes, a row of said ears, 1n a plane adqacent to one end of vane-operating mechanism. 'plan, showing, in detail, a clamp and operating rod, whereby the operatng rod may i be slidingly mounted on a steering column.

claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating the general arrangen'ient of my improved devices. Figure 2 is a front elevation showing my im proved shutter device mounted in a radiator shell, in closed position, while Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the shutter device in open position, Figures 2 and being on a scale dilferent from Figure 1. Figures 4 and 5 are vertical sections through the shutter device only on theindicated line 4-4) of Figure 2, on an enlarged scale, showing the shutter in open and closed position respectively. Figure 6 is a horizontal sec-- tion through the shutter device only on the indicated line 6-6 of Figure 4;, portions being broken away to economize space. Fig ure 7 is a rear elevation of the shutter device only, portions being broken away to economize space. Figure 8 is an elevation, partly in section, showing in detail portions of the Figure 9 is a In the construction of the apparatus as shown the numerals 10, ll designate side 'amhs and l2. 13 top and bottom jambs, re-

spectively, of a rectangular frame adapted to receive and carry av slmtter device. A continuous marg'tnal flange 14 18 formed on and flared or inclined slightly from the the collocation of vanes, being formed with P151116 00111111011 t0 the lime]? gin (lithe lik extensions d t d t b i t d i jambs ion], 12, 13 and said marginal flange spa d r l ti t Operating bagis adapted to be received and held between t ll th t i h b in m t .the outer surface of a radiator 15 andan ott' rectilinear reciprocation of said bar all, umerrily-offset inner-flange portion 16 of of the vanesare oscillated simultaneously. fly r iator Shell 17 (Figs. 2 and 3). By this .A. further object of this invention is to be found in the construction of a frame for a shutter, which frame is formed with marginal flangeson one margin ofeach jamb, oppositely-extending marginal flanges on opposite margins of two opposed jambs and re-curved flanges similarly located on the two opposed remaining jambs, the shutter being formed with pivoted vanes, extreme marginal portions of vanes overlapping the plane inner flanges, said vanes being pivoted to the recurved inner flanges.

, invention. consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, polnted out in my means the shutter frame is held in desired location and vertical position in front of a radiator, the radiator and shell being shown conventionally, and no bolts, screws, brackets, lugs or other securing devices need be employed. This reduces expense, tends to strengthen the structure, and reduces materially the amount of time and labor required for installing the shutter device. A plane flange 18 is formed on and extends downwardly (inwardly) from the outer 1nargin of the head jamb 12 and a plane flange 19 is formed on and extends upwardly (inwardly) from the outer margin of the bottom jamb 13, said plane flanges 18, 19 being bin different vertical. planes.

A recurved flange isformed on and extends inwardly from the inner margin of the side .jamb 10 and a similar recurved flange 21 is formed on and extends inwardly from the inner margin of the side jamb 11,the inner portions of said recurved flanges being opposed in parallel splanes 6) and said ears are respectively -pivoted to'the inner portions of the zrecurved fl'anges 20, 21, in spaced relation, by rivets 30, 31. Extensions 32 are formed-on the ears28 and project'toward the radiator 15 and =all of said extensions are pivoted, in :spacedrelation, to an operating bar 33*by riivets34. .The'operatin'g'bar 33 is located immediately to the rearof the inner margin-'ofthe recurved flange 20. Tl1e lowermostextension 32015 the .seriesis of greater height-than the'otlrers'anda connecting link 35 is pivoted at one ;;end to the lower rear corner of said. extension and extends rear= wardlyktherefrom through an interstice in and common to the radiator 15. A bracket 36is removably'and replaeeably secured to a member of-'the automobile frame and extends inwardly and upwardly therefrom (Figs. land 8'); A'lever'38 is 'fulcrumed at A hole through which the rod 39 'a steering column '40. A clamp collar 41 .mounted-adjustably on the steering column one end on the inner upper end of "the bracket 3'6 and-the innerend of th'e'connectinglink 35 is pivoted to the central portion of said lever. A rod 39 is pivoted at one'end to the-upper end of the lever 38an'deXten'ds I tegral oppositely-extending flanges 45, 46 "on its long side margins and, when rtheshutter is in closed positionf-Figs. 2, 5 and 7) the uppermost flange 45 engages the inner surface of the flange F18, :the'lowermost flange 46 engagesithe "outer surface of the flange :19 and fihe rintermediate flanges 45 over'lay and overlap? on the intermediate :fl'anges 46 QFig; 5'); v'Dherends of the vanes are arranged in close relation with the "recurved flanges 20, 2 1 :andsuch arrangement, to-

gethe'rwi'th the overl apping and interlocking relation of the side flanges of the vanes, provides for closing the opening in the shut ter frame substantially and preventing the passage of: much, if any, air through the frame to and through the radiator. The vanes may be oscillated to any desired degree, to-provide for the passage of much or little more air through the frame, by manipu lation'of the rod 39, motion given to said rod being communicated through the lever 38, link 35, lowermost extension'32, bar 33, extensions 32and cars 30 ultimately to the vanes. The friction of the connections holds the vanes in any position in which they may be placed manually. The marginal flange 14, being flaring and tightly clamped between the radiator 15 and flange 16 of the shell 17, securely holds the frame of the shutter device against accidental displacement and rattling.

It will be observed that the jnmb frame, marginal flange 14,-top and bottom flanges 18,19 and 'recurved flanges 20, 21. are formed of a single piece of metal preferably by stamping, pressing and drawing. and such construction makes for stability, strength and economy of production.

It will be observed that each vane is made integral with its side flanges, ears and extensions, and a. longitudinal strengthening rib 45 stamped through its center, all of a single piece of metal, preferably by stamping, pressingand drawin.g,'which makes "for strength, stifl'ness, accuracy of duplication and economy'of construction.

It is to be understood that the form of operating device here-shown is illustrative ofa wide variety whichmav be employed to suit the type of automobile on which the shutter device is used.

The arrangement of the pivot (if the connecting link 35 tothe lowermost extension of the series. relative to the pivots 30.

34 of said extension, provides the eilect (if ;a bcll-cranklever in the operation of the opemting'bar 33 through reciprocation of said link. When the vanes are moved to open position, as shown in Figure 4, the lowerend of the-operating rod 33 contacts with and is stopped by the bottom "janib 13, thus limiting opening movement of the vanes and preventing the pivot of the connecting rod '35 going past center and locking. In this position of the parts the vanes slope upwardly and inwardly an'd the flanges 45 extend upwardly from the inner margins thereof, and the tendency is to prevent the entrance of 'dirt, snow, rainand other foreign substances.

Attention is called to the fact that the shutter tfirame' is constructed to'flt "the radiatorface of each automobileforwhieh it is especially designed, and the opening of said frame is coextensive with the entire reticulated portion. of the radiator. Thusnone of the effective cooling function of the radi ator through passage of air is lost when the shutter device is in. open position.

By pivoting the shutter vanes to the in nor members or portions of the recurved flanges 20, 21. the pivots are concealed and protected from the elements, and protruding parts on the outer surface of the shutter frame are dispensed with.

It is to be in'utlerstood that my improved shutter device is designed to be held in place solely by engagement of its side flanges by a ren'iovable shell l7 now commonly employed in the construction. of automobile radiators. This shell, as shown. in Figures and 5, is mounted over the front portion of the radiator and is formed with a rela tively large opening through which. the reticulated portion of the radiator is exposed; and is formed. also with marginal flanges 16 which engage the side flanges of the shutter frame and hold them against the face of the radiator. The shell 17 also is formed. with a rearwardly extending flange 1.7 at its top overlapping the upper tank 15" of the radiator and having a central aperture through which the filling nozzle 15" projects. To mount the shutter device on the vehicle the shell 17 is removed in the ordinary manner, the shutter frame placed in position against the face of the radiator, and then the shell is replaced with its flanges 16 contacting the flange 14: of the shutter frame. The shell is secured in place in the manner provided for it, and no additional securing members are required to hold the shutter frame in place.

I claim as my invention 1. In an assemblage of the class described, the combination of a radiator and a shell therefor having an inner flange overlapping the margins of the radiator, and a shutter frame arranged in a plane parallel with and adjacent to said radiator and. formed with a marginal flange located between and held by said radiator and inner flange, such engagement forming the only means for connecting said shutter frame to said radiator.

2. in an. assemblage of the class described, the combination with a radiator and a shell therefor having a forwardlyoffset inner flange in. front of the radiator, of a shutter device having a marginal flange extending between and held by the radiator and shell flange, such engagement forming the sole means for securing the shutter device to said radiator.

In an assemblage of the class described, the combination with a radiator and a shell therefor having a forwardly-offset inner flange spaced from and. in front of the radi ator, of a shutter device having a marginal flange inclined rearwardly and extended between and held by the radiator and the inner shell flange, such engagementforming the sole means for securing the shutter device to said radiator.

4:. The combination with a radiator hav ing removable and replaceable shell formed with an inwardly extending flange overlapping the margins of the radiator, of a shutter device having a frame adapted to be mounted in a plane parallel with and ad jacent said radiator and formed with an outwardly extending flange adapted to be located between said radiator and the flange of said shell whereby said shutter device is held in position. a

5. The combination with a radiator having a removable and replaceable shell formed with an inwardly extending flange overlapping the margins of the radiator, of a shutter device having a frame adapted to be mounted in front of said radiator and formed with an outwardly extending marginal flange adapted to be located between said radiator and the flange of said shell whereby said shutter device is held in position, the marginal flange of said shutter device being flared and inclined slightly relative to the plane of the frame thereof and adapted to be compressed and placed under tension by contact of the flange of said shell when said shutter device is in position.

6. ln apparatus of the character described, a cover sheet adapted to be arranged within the shell of a radiator and having a forwardly projecting chamber, said chamber being provided with an opening, a movable shutter to control the passage of air through the opening, and means to move the shutter.

Signed at Des Moines, in the county of Poll: and State of Iowa, this 15th day of January, 1919.

JACK E. MESSENGER. 

